Urgent Call To Action To Protect Ontario’s Autistic Children From OPSEU’s Violence!

June 20, 2012

OPSEU 330 President Silvanna Petersen wearing riot gear…

If you have been following my articles on how the Ontario Public Service Union (OPSEU) is suggesting the use of riot gear to ‘protect’ teaching assistants from autistic children, you are probably as I am at their cynical ploy to advance their contract negotiations. The individuals who are pushing for this are some really sick puppies!

Well, it turns-out that the Simcoe County District School Board may be coming to their senses and voting against this barbarous act. They are having a vote tonight on two motions being brought before the board:

1.) Blockers should be banned because “they negatively impact on the dignity and human rights of the students and create a negative social message which promotes fear and exclusion.”

2.) There is no evidence that using blocker pads is a Best Practice, and using them may be detrimental to the school board’s statement of beliefs on special education.

Common knowledge about working with autistic children is that one needs to calm them down by using de-escalation techniques, not by using violence.The only thing these pads will do is make the situation worse!

Both the children, and their parents, have been pushed through too much grief these past few weeks. It is unfair that they had to endure this- even more unfair if the children have to be subjected to being shoved-around by teachers with martial arts equipment. Tonight is an important vote, and these people are in need of everyone’s help!

Please, if you believe that the children should be protected from these tactics, contact the Simcoe County School Board today and let them know that the blocker pads are not acceptable! All it takes is a quick phone call- if we can get enough people to do this, we will be able to send a loud & clear message that violence against children should not be allowed.